Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands

Twentieth-Century Battles

by Michael B. Barrett

In October 1917, an invasion force of some 25,000 German soldiers, accompanied by a flotilla of 10 dreadnoughts, 350 other vessels, a half-dozen zeppelins, and 80 aircraft, attacked the Baltic islands of Dago, Osel, and Moon at the head of the Gulf of Riga. It proved to be the most successful amphibious operation of World War I. The three islands fell, the Gulf was opened to German warships and was now a threat to Russian naval bases in the Gulf of Finland, and 20,000 Russians were captured. The invasion proved to be the last major operation in the East. Although the invasion had achieved its objectives and placed the Germans in an excellent position for the resumption of warfare in the spring, within three weeks of the operation, the Bolsheviks took power in Russia (November 7, 1917) and Albion faded into obscurity as the war in the East came to a slow end.

Genres: Military History, History, World War I

312 pages, Hardcover

First published December 30, 2007

About the author

Michael B. Barrett is a retired Brigadier General and former assistant professor of history at The Citadel. A 1968 graduate of The Citadel, he earned his master's and doctorate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and joined the faculty at The Citadel in 1976.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the fall of 1917 during the First World War, the German high command was becoming desperate to knock Russia out of the war. It was obvious that eventually the Americans would be sending a massive army to the Western Front, and the only way to counteract that was to carry out a war-winning offensive there to defeat the British and the French first. But the troops would have to come from the Eastern Front. Russia after the overthrow of the Czar was obviously tottering, so perhaps an offensive operation on the way to Petrograd would push the Russians over the edge and force a surrender? Thus was born the amphibious attack on the Baltic Islands off the coast of present-day Estonia known as Operation Albion. Usually, when one thinks of WWI and amphibious attacks, it is the fiasco of Gallipoli that springs to mind, but Albion was a success, making its obscurity a little hard to comprehend. Then one remembers that it occurred a few weeks before the Bolshevik coup and Russia left the war anyway, so its strategic value was questionable. This fine narrative of the operation brings Albion to its deserving light. One can't help but be impressed with the crisp professionalism of the German army and naval forces that carried out the assault and subsequent occupation of the islands. This sort of operation was unprecedented in German military history, and without any real experience, special equipment, landing craft, dedicated doctrine or a specialized corps of amphibiously-trained troops, the assault went off brilliantly. Especially noticeable were the lack of inter-service rivalries, and the excellent staff work, particularly by the CoS of the assault division (a captain!) who insisted upon combat loading the cargo ships. One should keep in mind that the Russian military was rotting away with revolutionary indiscipline at that stage of the war, and, rather than resist with their usual courage, Russian army units in the islands surrendered or ran away. Their navy performed somewhat better, but was still no match for the German naval forces. One of the small but significant ironies of Albion was that the German Navy did not institutionalize the knowledge and experience gained so that, when Hitler tasked his navy with preparing for an invasion of Britain in 1940 (Operation Sea Lion), the Kriegsmarine had to improvise and figure out how to land troops on a hostile shore from scratch. All in all, this is a fascinating tale of an almost forgotten operation that deserves to be better known. The maps here are well-drawn and there are helpful photographs. A worthy addition to your World War I library.

[Jason Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very detailed description of an often overlooked WW1 German operation to take the Baltic islands of Osel, Moon, and Dago (now Estonian islands) which, arguably contributed to the collapse of Kerensky provincial government. In the end, it didn’t matter much for the Germans, but the operation itself is a fascinating study in joint operations. That said, the author skips around in time, which can be a bit confusing. I also think the illustrations were lacking. A ground order of battle for the belligerents would have added clarity, as would have a timeline. Lot of interesting, though needless info, on some of the less important actors detracted from the description. 2.5 stars.

[Joe Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was one the successful amphibious landing in WW1 and is overlooked because it was conducted by the Germans, on the East Front, and just before the whole collapse of Russia and Lenin suing for surrender to the Germans. It is a very amazing operation pulled off by a country and armed forces that had no amphibious training or knowledge. A very interesting bit of forgotten history worth reading.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this subject matter of this book but then I really enjoy books on little known campaigns and battles. This was a good read but in short I think it makes a better journal article or chapter in a book about the naval actions in the Baltic 1914-1918. It's a fascinating read but, honestly, not a lot happened. The Russians were in the throws of revolution (or at least they soon would be) and had no stomach for a fight. Outside of the sinking of Russia destroyer GROM and battleship SLAVA not much happened. It's not Barrett's fault as he has obviously spent a great deal time and effort on research but the book ends anti-climatically. It's good, it accurately reflects history but it's, well, it's boring! Still Barrett gets high marks for shedding light on an obscure WW-1 naval action in a thoroughly professional manner.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The one book on Estonian history I could find at my bookstore (just after a coworker made a joke about us having books on Estonian military history), this is a dry but well-researched account of the German invasion of Saaremaa and Hiiuma towards the end of World War I, in an effort to take control of the Gulf of Riga and drive Russia out of the war once and for all. As the invasion took place after Nicholas II’s abdication, the Russian army was demoralized, reluctant to fight, and largely ruled by soviets, resulting in an overwhelming German victory.

[Stephen Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly one of the obscure corners of World War One. Given the limitations in primary sources, Barrett did an excellent job in covering the operation. It was a good reminder of just how badly off the Russians were at that point in the war/revolution.

[Greg Thiele · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that describes a little-known German amphibious assault in the Baltic during the First World War.

[Kris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book on the subject if it had better maps.